A Cumbrian resident will be sharing his first-hand perspective on Palestinian struggles at an upcoming fundraising gig in Carlisle. 

Nicholas Hope lived in Jerusalem's Ramallah back in 2010 where he worked for the European Union in their police and justice mission in Palestine. 

"I've not visited Gaza, but I've travelled all over the West Bank," he said. 

"Back then, you could see the infrastructure and how the settlers were being prioritised and protected. They had all the highways and infrastructure - which Palestinians couldn't use. 

"You got a palpable sense that things were getting worse for ordinary Palestinians," he said. 

During his tenure, the EU mission aimed to facilitate a two-state solution, but Mr Hope said he observed a troubling trend. 

"The EU's mission at the time was trying to make a two-state solution happen, but you could see it was going in the wrong direction. 

"I returned to the region in 2018, whilst working with the University of Cumbria teaching law.

"I could see for myself then that things had really gotten bad. 

"Brand new settlements were springing up all over the West Bank, it had me wondering how the two-state solution was ever going to work. 

"The idea you could divide two populations to make a coherent state for Palestine just seemed absurd," he said. 

Speaking about life in Gaza, Mr Hope described it as "intolerable" with restrictions on travel, family visits, and educational opportunities for Palestinians.  

He also criticised what he referred to as the "cutting the grass approach" which he claimed has been adopted in Israel, with periodic bombings and military actions against the people of Gaza every few years. 

While condemning the Hamas attacks on innocent Israelis and the events of October 7, he said: "It was completely foreseeable that there would be action on the powers of Gaza at some stage. 

"Looking to the future, as things stand, it's only creating a recipe for future violence and hatred moving forward," he said.  

Reflecting on personal connections on all sides of the conflict, Hope expressed a desire to return to both Israeli and Palestinian friends with his family if the dust settles. 

Nicholas will be speaking at the upcoming Carlisle Palestine Solidarity Group's fundraising gig at The Brickyard on December 8. 

The event which will feature speakers and live music will be raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP). 

"Medical Aid for Palestine is a really important charity. It is one of the only charities able to get resources into Gaza, anything that people can do to support it is really welcome," he said.